Brockton officials debate trash fee increase as refuse fund faces $1.1M–$1.5M shortfall

The finance committee heard sharp questions and several possible fixes Wednesday after the DPW projected a sizable refuse enterprise shortfall for FY26 that commissioner Patrick Hill said stemmed largely from insufficient fee revenue.

"That figure will definitely change," Hill told councilors, adding that the projected $1.5 million deficit will likely fall to about $1.1–$1.2 million once year‑end balances are reconciled. He traced the gap to the city not collecting a planned $40 quarterly fee and to higher disposal and labor costs baked into the contract with Republic Services.

Councilors pressed for immediate steps and for options to limit the deficit’s impact on residents. Hill outlined two paths that city leaders are weighing: buy and deploy new 65‑gallon carts (to be financed over three years) or continue relying on the green‑bag pay‑per‑bag system. He said bag sales are expected to fall if carts are distributed, and that total tonnage likely would not rise drastically; the mayor’s office and DPW had modeled a scenario with carts built into the proposed new fee.

Republic Services’ contract was cited repeatedly: Hill said the current agreement runs through June 30, 2027, with one additional extension possible. He warned that contract procurement and service levels are complex — the city’s current arrangement requires multiple trucks and ancillary services (white‑goods pickup, recycling collection and city building roll carts) — and that soliciting new vendors would be a significant undertaking.

Councilors urged additional analysis. Councilor Green and others asked for a clearer user‑by‑user projection and asked the administration to prepare scenarios that exclude the cart purchase (which county and state grants could partially offset) and that assume no additional partner revenue. Councilor Farwell suggested researching other municipalities’ pay‑as‑you‑throw implementations to understand equity implications for seniors and low‑income households.

Hill said the DPW intends to make a decision on barrels and a funding path by the end of the month; delivery lead time for new barrels is typically six to eight weeks. Meanwhile the council was told the department will continue to pursue state or federal reimbursements that could reduce the net deficit, and that any change to resident fees would follow the council’s ordinance process and public notice requirements.

The committee did not vote on fees; councilors were scheduled to consider budget cuts and revenue options at a special meeting Monday.